Subject: Legalizing launch sites for hand-carried non-motorized crafts in Seattle
Date: Apr 13 09:54:29 1998
From: "Martin J. Muller" - martinmuller at email.msn.com


Fellow tweetsters,

This is only indirectly bird-related, but I'm not apologizing....hit delet
if you think you're not interested. Thanks

I wonder how many of you in the Seattle area are aware of the following?

Currently it is unlawful to launch hand-carried non-motorized water crafts
(kayaks, canoes, windsurfing boards) in Seattle parks, except at official
docks (as at the small craft center at Green Lake).

The Parks Department is currently working with user groups like the
Washington Water Trails Association to make it legal at a variety of sites
around town to launch said crafts.

The following locations are under consideration:

Freshwater:

Matthew's Beach
Pontiac Bay
Magnuson Park
Belvoir Place
Arboretum
Adams Street
Ohlers Island
Andrews Cove
N. Bailey Peninsula (Seward Park)
S. Seward Park
Martha Washington
Pritchard Beach
Beer Shiva
Aqua Marina
S. Lake Union Park
N. Green Lake (bay north of island)
S. E. Green Lake (E. Green Lake Drive North, near Kirkwood Pl. N.)

Saltwater:

Carkeek Park
Golden Gardens
Discovery Park
32nd Ave W. (Magnolia)
Duwamish Park
Pocket Beach #1 (near Seacrest)
West Alki Beach
3701 Beach Drive SW
Lowman Beach
Lincoln Park

The flyers (bright green pamphlets) say no sensitive wildlife areas will be
impacted. No improvements (structures) are scheduled, just signage. It is a
matter of legalizing current practices.

Once these sites have been legalized they will be widely advertised so I
assume usage will increase. I don't have enough time to go and visit all of
these sites, so I urge people who live near, or frequent any of these areas
to look for the pamphlets and imagine the impact increased usage of that
area by kayaks/canoes etc. would have.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I kayak myself and am a member of the Washington Water Trail
Association. I am not trying to torpedo a perfectly sensible move. I am
merely concerned that in some places wildlife (specifically birds) may be
impacted more than anticipated by Parks Department and WWTA organizers.

For example:

There are two sites proposed at Seward Park. They will be less than 300
yards apart. One on the south side of the park, in an area close to parking
and close to the private moorage just outside the park. The northern site,
however would legalize usage of the beach/bay in an area heavily used by
water fowl in winter as well as hunting eagles. I have suggested that they
limit launch sites in this park to the single southern location.

At Green Lake it makes perfect sense to legalize the northern bay near the
island. There's parking, it is shallow with a gradually sloping pebble
beach. A perfect location. I do have concerns about increased disturbance of
water fowl on the lake in winter, it already seems that wintering ducks like
shovelers and ruddy ducks have decreased with the start of Parks Department
kayaking and canoeing programs (these crafts are required to stay close to
shore, thus they disturb birds in the western portion of the lake that used
to be a relatively undisturbed safe-haven).
The southeastern shore is of concern, not because of wildlife, but because
of safety. There's no park-side parking (unless people park halfway on the
grass and half in the bicycle lane) and already on breezy sunny days
dangerous situations arise when people carry crafts (sometimes upside down
over their heads) across the busy road. Legalizing and advertising this site
looks like an open invitation for a disaster to me.
Additionally, I think people wanting to launch small crafts would be better
served if a three-minute load/unload parking space was created in two
existing location: at the Community Center and the Small Craft Center
parking lots.

Well, anyway, you get the picture.

Two of the four scheduled public hearings have already been held. The
remaining hearings will be held:
Monday April 20, 7 - 8:30 PM at Meadowbrook Community Center at
10517 35th NE
Tuesday April 21, 7 - 8:30 PM at Mt. Baker Rowing and Sailing Center, 3800
Lake Washington Blvd.. S.

Please attend a public meeting and/or send your comments by April 22 to
Kathy Whitman, Citywide Aquatics, Seattle Department of Parks and
Recreation, 100 Dexter Avenue. N., Seattle, WA 98109. Phone: (206) 684-7099.
Email: kathy.whitman at ci.seattle.wa.us

So tell, me, how many of you knew about this? At Green Lake two pamphlets
had been placed in obscure locations, not even close to the proposed
impacted sites....

Thanks for reading this far and taking the time to assess the impact on a
park in your neighborhood and if necessary contact the Parks Department.

Martin Muller, Seattle
MartinMuller at email.msn.com